Eraser retaining and adjusting mechanism



T. R. sPl-:cH'r 3,203,401

ERASER RETAINING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM Aug. 31, 1965 Filed Oct. 15, 1963 United States atet ice 3,203,4tlll FRASER RETAllNlNG AND ABEUSTlN-G lidEtCHANllSlt/i Theodore R. Specht, Sharon, Pa., assigner to W. A.

Sheader Pen Company, lEort Madison, llowa, a c sporation oli Delaware Filed Get. l5, i963, Ser. No. 3116,2@ 6 Claims. (Cl. 12d- 38) This invention relates to an eraser holder and has special reference to a device for adjustably retaining an eraser in a projected position relative to the open rearward end of the shell or cap of a pencil or similar implement.

In the usual mechanical pencil the eraser is supported in on operative projected position by means of a metal cap or ferrule which surrounds and frictionally engages one end of the eraser and is itself frictionally retained in position within the tubular rearward end of the pencil. In this type of construction, the eraser may either remain openly exposed or it may be covered by a removable pencil cap. And while this arrangement has been used quite universally in the pencil art over the years, certain problems have been experienced. For example, a large portion of the eraser material is disposed within the metal ferrule and therefore is not available for use in erasing, and generally the user will use the eraser until it wears to about the level of the ferrule or pencil shell, at which point the ferrule or shell may tend to engage and tear the paper during the erasing operation. Also, after the eraser has worn to a substantial degree, it is often diiiicult to remove without resorting to the use of a sharp pointed implement for prying it from the pencil. These problems have long been recognized throughout the art, but little has been accomplished toward their true solution; and while the prior art is replete with vari- `ous proposals for adjustable erasers, these usually have included complicated structures involving relatively rotatable parts formed as integral portions of the pencil.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide a simply operated and inexpensive self-contained device for adjustably projecting an elongate eraser relative to the open end of a pencil mechanism.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a selt-contained eraser carrier adapted to house a relatively long eraser, the carrier having integral means for maintaining the eraser against recession and adjusting means for projecting the eraser as it becomes worn.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of an eraser adjusting device having a carrier with laterally displaceable side portions and including means for grasping the eraser when the carrier is disposed within the open end of a pencil shell or cap, together with a manually operable adjusting member for projecting the eraser as it is depleted during use.

Still another object of this invention is the provision oi an eraser adjusting device as described hereabove, including means for positioning the carrier at the proper depth of insertion within a pencil cap, said means being manually graspable whereby the device and eraser may be removed conveniently from the pencil as a unit.

Still further objects of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

ln accordance with the present invention, there is provided a self-contained eraser retaining and adjusting device ior fadjustably projecting an elongate eraser from the rearward end of the tubular shell or cap of a pencil. This device includes a generally cup-shaped carrier which is adapted for insertion into the end of the pencil cap or shell, the carrier having a plurality of laterally displaceable side portions which are `adapted to receive one end of the eraser and are formed with grasping elements engageable with the adjacent sides of the eraser when the carrier is inserted into the cap or shell. The laterally displaceable side portions further provide an outwardly protruding section which is adapted to abut the end of the cap or shell whereby the carrier is limited as to the depth oi' insertion thereof Within the shell. The carrier is provided with a manually operable member which, upon removal of the device from the pencil cap or shell, may be manipulated relative to the carrier to vary the eliective depth of the carrier and the projection of the eraser so that the eraser may be extended as it is depleted during use. Thus, `substantially the entire length of the eraser can be utilized in the drawings:

FGURE l is a broken longitudinal sectional View of one embodiment of an eraser retaining and adjusting device constructed according to the present invention, as assembled with the open rearward end of a pencil cap;

Fl'GURE 2 is an exploded perspective View of the eraser retaining and adjusting device of FTGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a reduced broken longitudinal sectional View of another embodiment of this invention, as assembled with a pencil cap; and

FXGURE 4 shows the device of FIGURE 3 during removal thereof from the open end of a pencil cap or shell.

Referring now to FlGURES l `and 2, an eraser plug lll is shown supported within the open rearward end l2 of a pencil shell ld by means of an adjusting and retaining device ld. The pencil shell 14 may be of standard tubular construction well known in the art, and it may be a rearwardly open end cap as illustrated, or a tubular member over which a rearwardly closed end cap is adapted to lit.

The adjusting and retaining device i6 includes a generally cylindrical cup-shaped carrier 1li having a closed end 2i? and an open end 2?.. The carrier 18 may be formed of any one of various materials, including suitable plastics, but in the present embodiment the cup is preferably drawn from a metal such as steel or brass. The exact character and thickness of the metal used in drawing the cup is not of great importance, except to the extent that it should have at least a limited degree ot resiliency for reasons which will be obvious from the following description.

As will be noted best from FIGURE 2, the cylindrical side wall of the carrier ld includes one or more longitudinal slits or apertures to provide a plurality of laterally or radially displaceable side portions 26. During fabrication of the carrier lil, the side portions 26 preferably are dared slightly, this being desirable in order to permit insertion of one end of the elongate eraser plug i0 without any objectional dragging oi the eraser against the side portions 26.

As will be obvious, the closed end 29 of the carrier i8 should be slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the cap or pencil shell Illl in order to permit insertion ot this end of the carrier into the pencil shell. However, the outside diameter of the carrier adjacent its open end 22, as defined by the side portions 26, which are when not under compression, is normally slightly larger than the internal diameter of the pencil cap or shell, whereby these side portions must be resiliently and. radially compressed and deformed during assembly and suilicient frictional engagement is created between the carrier 18 and the interior of the cap 14 to prevent inadvertent disengagement and resultant loss of the carrier and associated eraser plug through the open rearward end oi the cap. The tendency for radial expansion of the side portions 26 may be partially or totally a result of the resilient character of the eraser plug.

In order to support the eraser plug and carrier against forward recession within the cap 14 under the intluence of erasing pressure, there is provided stop means ZS for limiting relative axial insertive movement of the carrier 18 into the shell or cap 14. In the illustrated embodiment, this stop means is in the form of an outwardly projecting ring or flange 2S defined by the offset formed at the upper end of each side portion 25. The flange 28 is of such diameter that it will not pass into the interior of the cap or shell 14 even when the side portions are flexed inwardly against the eraser as shown in FIGURE l, and this flange is preferably large enough to be grasped readily by the user for extraction of the carrier 18 from the cap.

Jaw means 3i), formed by inwardly projecting edge portions 31 on each of the .side portions 26 adjacent the open end 22 of the carrier 18, firmly grip and support the eraser plug 1@ upon insertion f the carrier and eraser plug as a unit into the open rearward end of the pencil cap. As illustrated best in FIGURE l, the edge portions 31 define an opening which is somewhat smaller in diameter than the normal inside diameter of the carrier, whereby these radially projecting gripping elements may move into and out of gripping engagement with the sides of the er-aser plug upon respective insertion of the carrier into the cap and removal of the carrier from the capthe side portions 26 being displaced or camrned inwardly by engagement with the internal surface of the cap 14. Through this arrangement, the eraser plug is held very securely, with no danger of undesirable movement relative to either the carrier 1S or to the cap 14 under normal erasing pressures.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that a comparatively long eraser plug may be utilized, the plug being extended as the eraser is depleted during use. This not only reduces the cost to the user, but materially reduces the inconvenience attendant to the necessity of frequently replacing the usual short eraser. For purposes of manually extending or projecting the eraser, there is provided an adjusting means 32, comprising, in this embodiment, a threaded screw portion 33 and a support or washer member 34. The screw 33 extends through an aperture 36 in the closed end of the carrier 12, the aperture 36 including a radial slot 38 which permits the formation of a thread lead for engagement with the screw 33. The outer end of the screw 33 is provided with an enlarged knurled head 40 for the convenience of the user in adjusting the position of the eraser plug 1t) within the carrier 18 after removal of the carrier from the pencil cap.

The support or washer 34 may be molded from a plastic material and provided with a centrally disposed opening or socket 42 adapted to receive the reduced generally spherical projection 44 formed at the inner end of the screw 33. Preferably, the spherical portion 44 will snap past the restricted portion 46 of the socket 42, whereby the washer 34 and screw 33 will be held in 'a relatively rotatable relationship. This rotatable relationship will cut down on the amount of friction which would otherwise be realized should the washer or support 34 rotate against the adjacent lower surface of the eraser plug 1f) during adjustment thereof.

From the foregoing description it is clear that the adjusting means 32 not only permits manual projection of the eraser plug by permitting 'adjustment of the effective depth of the carrier 13, but this adjusting means provides a supplemental support to prevent recession of the eraser plug under erasing pressure. Thus, the cooperative support of the adjusting means 32 and jaw means positively prevents movement of the eraser plug relative to the open end of the pencil cap or shell.

When a user wishes to insert a new eraser plug, the carrier 18 is removed from the pencil cap, which removal permits the free ends of the side portions 26 to expand radially outward thereby effecting or permitting release of the eraser plug and providing easy passage of one end of the new eraser plug into the carrier. It will be understood, of course, that the user should first rotate the 'adjusting screw to its extreme forward or retracted position so that effective depth of the carrier 13 will be maximum and the maximum length of the eraser may be inserted into and contained within the carrier. It is then merely necessary for the user to reinsert the carrier and its contained eraser into the open end of the pencil cap or shell until the stop means 28 is engaged, which yaction automatically and properly positions the carrier relative to the cap and concomitantly locks the eraser against inadvertent displacement. After subsequent use and depletion of the exposed portion of the eraser, the user may extract the carrier from the pencil cap, and adjustably rotate the screw 33 to effect the desired decrease in the effective depth of the carrier and to project the eraser the desired distance. The entire assembly is then reinserted into the pencil cap, as previously described, for subsequent use.

The embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 basically is the same as the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, except the jaw means and stop means at the upper end of the side portions of the carrier are of slightly modified construction.

In this embodiment, the carrier is formed with an open end 102 and a closed end 104, the open end being defined by a plurality of radially displaceable side portions lfld which are separated by a plurality of circu1nferentially spaced longitudinally extending slots 108 similar to those described in the previous embodiment. In the instant embodiment, the material at the end of each side portion is formed inwardly and then flared outwardly to provide jaw means in the form of a bight portion 112 and stop means in the form of an outwardly projecting flange 114, the latter being somewhat larger in diameter than the internal diameter of the pencil cap 116. The inwardly formed bight portion will thus grip the eraser plug and the outwardly projecting flange 114 will limit the depth of insertion of the carrier 100 into the cap 116.

As in the case of the previously described embodiment, the carrier 10@ includes adjusting means 118, defined by a screw having an enlarged knurled head 122 at its outer end, and a relatively rotatable washer or support member 124 carried by the hemispherical projection 126 at its inner end. Thus, as will be seen, the operation of the present embodiment is the same as that described previously.

For the possible convenience of the user, there is provided a cup member 128 which is sized for insertion into the open end of the mechanism shell 130. As will be noted, the cup 128 has a closed end 132 and an open end 134. In normal usage, the cup 12? is carried in the end of the tubular member 130 of the pencil mechanism with the closed end 132 of this cup disposed rearwardly and abutting the reduced area 136 of the mechanism. This permits the head 122 of the adjusting screw 120 to extend into the open end of the cup 12d when the carrier and eraser are operatively positioned for use.

When the user desires to remove the eraser adjusting mechanism from the pencil cap for adjustment or replacement of the eraser plug it is necessary merely to remove the cap 116 `and reverse the position of the cup 128 so that the closed end 132 thereof faces rearwardly for abutment with the head 122 of the screw 120 when the cap is reassembled. Thus, when the cap is repositioned over the tubular member 130 and the cup 128, the carrier 100 will be lifted or partially pushed from the cap 116 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The carrier 100 may then be grasped readily and removed.

Following this procedure, the user should reverse the cup 128 prior to reassembly of the cap 116 with the mechanism 136, in order to insure against any interference with the proper repositioning of the carrier.

Although the present invention has been described with some particularity, it is understood that the foregoing embodiments are illustrated and described only by way of example and that this invention is not to be limited thereto as various modilications may be made without departing from its true spirit and scope as claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for supporting and projecting an eraser, comprising a carrier having a closed end and a laterally displaceable section sized to receive one end of said eraser, adjusting means supported relative to said carrier by said closed end, said means being extendable within said carrier through said closed end for projecting said eraser relative to said carrier, and jaw means provided by and movable with said displaceable section for supporting said eraser against movement when said section is biased inwardly.

2. A device for supporting and projecting an elongate eraser relative to an open ended shell, comprising a carrier adapted for insertion into and removal from said shell, said carrier having a closed end and a radially displaceable section sized to receive one end of said eraser, adjusting means supported relative to said carrier by said closed end, said means being manually operable to extend one end thereof into said carrier for projecting said eraser relative to said carrier, said section being biased inwardly upon insertion of said carrier within said shell, and jaw means provided by and movable with said displaceable section for releasably supporting said eraser against movement when said section is biased inwardly.

3. A device for supporting and projecting an elongate eraser relative to an open ended shell, comprising a generally cup-shaped carrier having a closed end and a radially displaceable section deiining an open end sized to receive one end of said eraser, manually operable adjusting means supported relative to said carrier by said closed end, said means being movable through said closed end into said carrier for projecting said eraser relative to said carrier, said carrier being adapted for insertion into and removal from said shell, stop means for limiting axial movement of said carrier within said shell, said displaceable section being biased inwardly upon insertion of said carrier within said shell, and jaw means provided by and movable with said displaceable section for releasably supporting said eraser against movement when said displaceable section is biased inwardly.

4. A device for adjustably projecting an elongate consumable member beyond the open end of a pencil shell, comprising a generally cup-shaped carrier having a closed end and a radially displaceable section defining an open end sized to receive one end of said consumable member, a manually operable adjusting member supported relative to said carrier by said closed end, said means being movable through said closed end into said carrier to abut the said one end of said consumable member for projecting said consumable member relative to said carrier, said carrier being adapted for insertion into said shell with said consumable member extending through the open end of said shell, means for limiting the movement of said carrier within said shell, and means provided by said radially displaceable section for releasably grasping said consumable member when said carrier is disposed within said shell, said adjusting means `and said grasping means co-operatively maintaining said consumable member against recession relative to said shell when said carrier is disposed therewithin.

5. A device for adjustably projecting an elongate eraser beyond the open outer end of a pencil cap, comprising a generally cupashaped carrier having a closed end and a plurality of radially displaceable iingers defining an open end sized to receive one end of said eraser, said iingers being biased inwardly upon insertion of said carrier within said pencil cap, an adjusting member extending through sadi closed end and providing an enlarged head abutting the said one end of said eraser, said closed end and said ladjusting member being threadedly engaged whereby relative rotation therebetween will project said eraser relative to said carrier, said carrier being adapted for insertion into said cap with said eraser extending through the open outer end thereof, a radially projecting offset provided by said fingers for abutting engagement with the open outer end of said pencil cap, said abutment limiting the movement of said carrier within said shell, and an inwardly projecting odset provided by each of said iingers adjacent the said open end, said offsets being radially displaceable with said fingers and forming a jaw member releasably grasping said eraser when said carrier is disposed within said shell, said adjusting member and said grasping jaw member co-operatively maintaining said eraser `against recession relative to said pencil cap when said carrier is disposed therewithin.

6. A device for adjustably projecting an eraser beyond the open outer end of a pencil cap, said device comprising a carrier adapted for insertion into the open outer end of said cap, said carrier having a closed end and laterally displaceable side portions provided with gripping elements movable into and out of gripping engagement with the sides of the eraser upon the respective insertion of said carrier into said cap and removal of the carrier from said cap, means for positioning said carrier at the proper depth of insertion within the outer end of said cap, a support element movable within said carrier for engaging and supporting the inwardly disposed end of said eraser interjacent said carrier side portions, and means extending through said closed end for effecting axial displacement of said support to vary the effective depth of said carrier and to permit said eraser to be supported in a desired position of relative adjustment with respect to the open outer end of said cap.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,878 6/42 Teit et al 120-38 2,288,419 6/42 Patrick 1Z0-38 2,535,823 12/50 Benschoten 120-38 3,099,251 7/63 Hertz 120-38 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND PROJECTING AN ERASER, COMPRISING A CARRIER HAVING A CLOSED END AND A LATERALLY DISPLACEABLE SECTION SIZED TO RECEIVE ONE END OF SAID ERASER, ADJUSTING MEANS SUPPORTED RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER BY SAID CLOSED END, SAID MEANS BEING EXTENDABLE WITHIN SAID CARRIER THROUGH SAID CLOSED END FOR PROJECTING SAID ERASER RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER, AND JAW MEANS PROVIDED BY AND MOVABLE WITH SAID DISPLACEABLE SECTION FOR SUPPORTING SAID ERASER AGAINST MOVEMENT WHEN SAID SECTION IS BIASED INWARDLY. 